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The 2018 Champions League final is almost here. On one side are Real Madrid, the most successful team in the competition and have won the coveted title thrice in the past four years. Meanwhile, their opposition, Liverpool, are the most successful British club in the competition, having won it five times. However, their last appearance at this stage of the competition came 11 years ago.
Therefore, the odds are stacked against the Reds with Zinedine Zidane's men possessing the form and experience needed to win for an unprecedented third time in a row. While Liverpool are far from Madrid in those aspects, Jurgen Klopp's men are not going to be pushovers either.
The Reds have blitzed every team in their path to Kyiv, not losing a game until the semi-final second leg against Roma. The pace, quality and work-rate of the Merseyside club has seen every team struggle against them. Now, facing this Real Madrid side in the summit clash definitely changes things.
While Liverpool have been guilty of failing to make it count in the biggest games during recent times, things have definitely changed this season. So, let us take a look at five matches this season where Klopp's men had to step up and they did.
#5 Liverpool 4-2 Hoffenheim
Context -The Reds faced Hoffenheim for a spot in the Champions League group stage back in August. The German side were considered to be the strongest opponents at this stage. Further, their manager Julian Nagelsmann was touted as the next big manager in world football.
The Merseyside club won the first leg 2-1 in Germany and the they had the tricky situation of getting the job done at Anfield.
Result - The Reds came flying out of the blocks, something one has come to expect at Anfield. After a good start, they put all pre-match analysis to bed by scoring thrice in the space of just 11 minutes. Emre Can scored either side of Mohamed Salah's goal before Roberto Firmino put the icing on the cake in the second-half.
While Hoffenheim did score once in either half, they never looked like taking the match away from Liverpool, and Klopp's men advanced to the group stages. Champions League participation was at stake in this match and the Reds responded admirably, showing a sign of things to come.
(Video courtesy - DSK Football TV YouTube Channel)
#4 Liverpool 7-0 Spartak Moscow
Context - Liverpool faced Sevilla, Spartak Moscow and Maribor in their Champions League group stages. They threw away leads against Sevilla twice, drew with Spartak in Russia but did dispatch Maribor with a 10-0 aggregate over both matches.
Qualification for the knockout stages came down to the final match with Sevilla and Spartak in contention as well. The Reds were at the top of the group with 9 points, Sevilla were in second with 8 and Spartak were on 6. Now, the Spanish side faced Maribor at home and were expected to beat them.
This meant Liverpool had to first avoid defeat against Spartak at Anfield to clinch qualification. Secondly, the Reds had to beat the Russian side to top the group and ensure they get the round of 16 second leg at home. A loss would see Spartak qualify due to a better head-to-head and the English side would be knocked out if Sevilla beat Maribor.
(Video Courtesy - Dimensi BOLA YouTube Channel)
Result - If there were any doubts pre-match on how Salah and co. would go about the match, then they were put to bed right away. Philippe Coutinho opened the scoring with a penalty in the 4th minute before adding another 10 minutes later. Firmino scored a few minutes later to help the side firmly take control of the tie and their destiny.
A newfound ruthlessness came to the fore in the second-half with Coutinho completing his hat-trick, Sadio Mane scoring twice and Salah putting the icing on the cake at the end. Thus, all the permutations were smashed away as the Reds topped the group with a brilliant display of attacking football, another huge sign of things to come.
#3 Liverpool 4-0 Brighton
Context - Heading into the final game of the Premier League season, Liverpool were yet to secure a Champions League spot through their league position. The Reds were in fourth with Chelsea two points behind them in fifth. The Blues had to win the last game while Klopp's team had to avoid defeat to keep their spot.
A draw would suffice as Liverpool's superior goal-difference would see them through. However, the concern was with the team as they squandered away opportunities against West Brom and Stoke in previous weeks to clinch their Champions League spot for the next season. In the penultimate match against Chelsea, the Reds could not avoid defeat and lost 1-0 to keep the London club's hopes alive.
All of this was attributed to the deep run in the Champions League with a thin squad, struggling with injuries. Hence, there was a slight worry around the club, leading to the final game of the season.
(Video courtesy - Liverpool FC YouTube Channel)
Result - After receiving a week's rest before a game since more than a month, the Reds scored thrice without reply by the hour-mark. Salah broke his mini-slump by opening the scoring before Dejan Lovren scored a solid header. Dominic Solanke scored his debut goal for the club in the second-half to put the result beyond any doubt.
Andy Robertson unleashes his left-foot in the end for his debut goal and Liverpool confirmed their Champions League qualification in style without depending on Chelsea's result. The week's rest helped the side tired due to their European exploits, recharge their batteries and the result was there for all to see.
By now, the Reds have picked up the knack of champions, where they never fail to turn up in a high-stakes match. This is something Real Madrid will have to keep in mind in Kyiv.
#2 AS Roma 4-2 Liverpool
Context - Liverpool had one foot in the Champions League final with another attacking blitz in the first leg at Anfield. The Reds brought a 3-goal lead to Italy, courtesy of a 5-2 win in the first leg. However, AS Roma believed they still had a chance, especially considering they scored three without reply against Barcelona in the previous round to draw the tie 4-4 and go through on away goals.
Further, the Italian side did not concede a single goal in this season's tournament, shutting out the likes of Chelsea and Atletico Madrid along with Barcelona. Also, defending leads was still not a Liverpool hallmark, making the situation far from over. Thus, the Reds needed to score to prevent an upset.
(Video courtesy - ho quang thang YouTube Channel)
Result - While both teams started well, Liverpool showed no signs of nerves as they went about their business. Firmino set up Mane to open the scoring before an unfortunate own goal via James Milner's face brought Roma level. Gini Wijnaldum finally scored away from home in such a big match to put a mountain of a task in front of Roma.
Edin Dzeko scored in the 52nd minute for Roma before a late double from Radja Nainggolan in the final minutes brought the aggregate score to 7-6 in favour of Liverpool. However, the Reds saw off the remaining minutes of injury time to seal their progress to the final.
While the Reds were inflicted their first loss of their European campaign, the circumstances need to be considered. This season's tournament has seen the losing team throw everything in the second leg, making any lead look surmountable. Also, a few refereeing decisions were questionable and they could have seen the tie go either way.
However, the important part is the way Liverpool started the game assertively and held on as the tiredness due to playing every 3 days for a month finally started to hurt them. Top teams always find a way to get the right result no matter what and Liverpool did the same on that day, a trait Zidane's team exhibit more than anyone on the continent.
#1 Liverpool 3-0 Manchester City
Context - Liverpool had just scored 5 past FC Porto in Portugal in the round of 16 first leg and saw them off in the second leg. The Reds drew Premier League leaders and one of the tournament favourites Manchester City in the quarterfinals. Pep Guardiola's side were running away with the league title, while playing scintillating attacking football at the same time.
Further, the Reds were expected to play the second leg at the Etihad, implying a result was an absolute-must in the first leg. The nerves were never higher while the fans prepared for an Anfield night for the ages. City had the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva, Ilkay Gundogan and Fernandinho in their ranks while Liverpool's midfield oozed lesser class and more industry.
(Video Courtesy - TOPSKOR TV)
Result - If there were any nerves, the players did not show it. If there were any doubts, they belonged to City players at half-time. In one of the most memorable Anfield nights, Liverpool outclassed, outworked and outscored City with a breathtaking display of attacking football. The Reds scored thrice between the 12th and 31st minute, thanks to Salah, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Mane.
If City felt they could pull it back in the second-half, they were in for another surprise as Liverpool's defensive guard led by Virgil van Dijk stood as firm as a wall and did not allow Guardiola's team to have a sniff at goal.
Such a dominating performance against the tournament favourites is arguably the best display of the season so far. The Reds went on to survive another onslaught at Etihad in the second leg before scoing twice in the second-half to put the game to bed.
The quality, bravery and passion shown by the team in the first leg was a sign that the Merseyside club were ready to return to the big time and it should serve as a warning for Madrid.
Thus, these five games highlight that Liverpool bring out their A-game when the stakes are high this season. Also, the English side as well as their manager thrive as underdogs and Zidane's men should be wary of the same.
In the end, this year's winner will all come down to which of the two teams manage the game better. Madrid will have to handle the Liverpool blitz while the Reds have to make their moments count - an enticing final is on the cards.
